Osprey Aether 65
A great backpack that goes the distance.
When it comes to creating the perfect hiking backpack, it should start with the acknowledgment that none are truly ideal. There is always going to be something that one has that another lacks, both bad and good. However, a backpack is excellent in my opinion, because regardless of one of its given quirks, it manages to outpace your expectations and act as a product that is far better and more worth its price than anticipated.
I first bought my Aether 65 at REI’s used gear selection. I wanted it for some long day hikes as well as a few overnight experiences. I quickly learned that the Aether 65 has features that I immediately fell in love with.
In the front of the bag, there are straps for trekking poles, as well as two very well-sized pockets for additional water bottles. If you have smaller ones, the pack has a side strap you can rig to tighten down where the bottle is located, which was handy for me on downhills where I tend to lean back a bit more than I should.
The bag is a top loader, meaning it loads from a string-based opening in the top. It also includes a top compartment that lays over the main compartment opening. It’s a bit hard to describe, so here is a good photo example from Osprey’s website.
Overall, I think the bag is a phenomenal example of a lightweight-framed trekking backpack. I intend to use it for my summit bid for Whitney this summer, and I am excited to see how it fairs for distances above 12 miles and more than one day.